Automated Doors User Guide

Table of Contents

Overview

This lab demonstrates the use of TI mmWave sensors in an automated door application. Tracking algorithms are used to sense range, speed, and direction of motion to trigger the opening of a door. Whereas traditional door sensors operate based only on proximity, this lab uses the sensor to open the door only when a person is approaching the door. Velocity information obtained by the sensor also triggers the door to open earlier if a person is moving towards the door faster as is shown below.

This version of the lab incorporates a new static object detection algorithm to detect non-moving objects close to the sensor. The lab runs on the TI mmWave sensor using either the IWR6843ISK,the IWR6843ODS or the IWR6843AOPEVMs and includes a MATLAB visualizer.

QuickStart

Precompiled binaries can be found at <radar_toolbox_install_dir>\source\ti\examples\Automated_Doors_And_Gates\prebuilt_binaries.

For quickstart you’ll need to use

1. Hardware and Software Requirements

Hardware

Item Details
Device IWR6843ISK or IWR6843ISK-ODS or IWR6843EVM optionally with Industrial mmWave Carrier Board.
Mounting Hardware The EVM needs to be mounted at a height of ~2-3m with a significant downtilt. An adjustable clamp style smartphone adapter mount for tripods and a 60-75” tripod can be used to clamp and elevate the EVM. This is only an example solution for mounting; other methods can be used so far as setup specifications are met.
Computer PC with Windows 7 or 10. If a laptop is used, please use the ‘High Performance’ power plan in Windows.
Micro USB Cable Due to the high mounting height of the EVM, an 8ft+ cable or USB extension cable is recommended.
Power Supply 5V, >2.5A with 2.1-mm barrel jack (center positive). The power supply can be wall adapter style or a battery pack with a USB to barrel jack cable.

🛑 Before Continuing!
IWR6843 ES2.0 Only This lab is only compatible with ES2.0 version of IWR6843. Check the device version on your IWR6843ISK or IWR6843ODS using the on-chip device markings as shown below>

  1. If line 4 reads 678A, you have an ES2 device. In this case, this lab is compatible with your EVM.
  2. If line 4 reads 60 GHZi, you have an older ES1 device. In this case, the lab is NOT compatible with your EVM. ES2 IWR6843ISK boards are orderable from the EVM link above.

🛑 Before Continuing!
AoP ES2.0 EVM only The IWR6843 AoP version of this lab is only compatible with ES2.0 silicon and the corresponding EVM. Please ensure your EVM is the same as in the below image.

Software

Tool Version Required For Download Link
TI mmWave SDK 3.5.0 Compile Lab TI mmWave SDK and all the related tools are required to be installed as specified in the mmWave SDK release notes
MATLAB Runtime 2017a (9.2) Quickstart Visualizer To run the quickstart visualizer the runtime is sufficient.
Uniflash Latest Quickstart

2. Setup the EVM for Flashing Mode

3.Flash the EVM using Uniflash

Flash the binary listed below using UniFlash. Follow the instructions for using UniFlash

BIN Name Boards Location
automated_doors_68xx_demo.bin IWR6843ISK <RADAR_TOOLBOX_INSTALL_DIR>\source\ti\examples\Automated_Doors_And_Gates\prebuilt_binaries
automated_doors_68xx_demo.bin IWR6843ODS <RADAR_TOOLBOX_INSTALL_DIR>\source\ti\examples\Automated_Doors_And_Gates\prebuilt_binaries
automated_doors_68xx_demo.bin IWR6843AOPEVM <RADAR_TOOLBOX_INSTALL_DIR>\source\ti\examples\Automated_Doors_And_Gates\prebuilt_binaries

4. Setup the EVM for Functional Mode

  1. Setup the Carrier Board in standalone mode using the S1 switch combination as shown below.

  2. Connect the EVM to the MMWAVEICBOOST board and mount the EVM vertically as shown below:

  3. Plug in micro-usb and power supply to EVM using the connectors shown above.

5. Physical Setup

  1. For best results, the EVM should be positioned high enough to be above the top of tracked objects and with a significant down tilt. The aim is to position the EVM so that the antenna beam can encompass the area of interest.

Setup Requirements:

Setup using suggested tripod and smartphone clamp mount:

  1. Screw on clamp mount to tripod
  2. Clamp EVM across its width below power barrel jack to attach EVM
  3. Adjust tripod head for 45 degree down tilt (Tip: Bubble or level smartphone apps can be used to measure down tilt)
  4. Plug in micro-usb and power supply to EVM
  5. Extend tripod so that the EVM is elevated 2-3m from the ground
  6. Position EVM and tripod assembly in desired location of room. The EVM should be positioned so that the 120 degree FOV of the EVM antenna encompasses the area of interest and points to the region in which people are expected to enter the space.


    70 degree downtilt for AoP or ODS Antenna


    45 degree downtilt for ISK Antenna

4. Run the Lab

To run the lab, launch and configure the visualizer which displays the detection and tracked object data received via UART.

Launch the visualizer:

5. Understanding the Output

Automated Door Functionality

The visualizer consists of a large single plot in the X-Y domain as a bird’s eye view. People or moving objects that are tracked by the sensor appear as circles. The middle rectangle at the bottom of the plot is the approximate location of the sensor and is used as a model of a door. Red symbolizes the door in a closed state while the door will open when someone walks towards it. The software has been programmed to trigger the opening of a door when a person is within 3 seconds of reaching it. It is worth noting that the door will only open when a person is walking towards it, it will stay closed if someone walks away from it or past it.

Static Object Detection

Another feature of this lab is the detection of static objects that could obstruct the closing of a door. These static objects are shown as a point cloud so a larger object will have more points associated with it. In the picture above a cart has been left in front of the sensor which is clearly shown. The door has turned yellow indicating that a Static Obstruction has been detected. Static objects that are within 1.5 meters from the sensor will trigger this state, while static objects that are more than 2 meters from the door will not be plotted at all. For more information on the static object detection algorithm, please see the static_object_detection_notes.pdf the the lab docs folder.

Valid Zones of Detection

The EVM antenna pattern and its field of view dictate the valid zones of detection. Either the AoP or the ODS antenna are recommended when a wider field of view directly under the sensor is needed. The ISK antenna is recommended instead when detection is needed at distances further away although the ISK antenna cannot detect objects directly underneath unless a very significant amount of downtilt is applied.

The below table outlines the expected zones of detection given the recommended sensor placement.

EVM Type Sensor Height (m) Angle of Down Tilt Minimum Detection Range (m) Maximum Detection Range (m) Detection Width @ Minimum Detection Range (m)
IWR6843AoP EVM 2.0 70 degrees 0.0 4.0 +/- 2.0
IWR6843ODS EVM 2.0 70 degrees 0.0 4.0 +/- 2.0
IWR6843ISK EVM 2.5 45 degrees 0.5 7.0 +/- 2.0

Expected Performance

The lab is expected to perform to the below benchmarks within the valid zones of detection. This assumes that the correct angle of downtilt is specified at run-time.

EVM Type Position Accuracy (m) Azimuth Angular Accuracy
IWR6843AoP EVM 0.1 8 degrees
IWR6843ODS EVM 0.1 8 degrees
IWR6843ISK EVM 0.15 4 degrees

Developer’s Guide

Build the Firmware from Source Code

1. Software Requirements

Tool Version Download Link
TI mmWave SDK 3.5.04 TI mmWave SDK 3.5.x and all the related tools are required to be installed as specified in the mmWave SDK release notes
Code Composer Studio Latest Code Composer Studio
TI SYS/BIOS 6.73.01.01 Included in mmWave SDK installer
TI ARM Compiler 16.9.6.LTS Included in mmWave SDK installer
TI CGT Compiler 8.3.3 Download link
XDC 3.50.08.24 Included in mmWave SDK installer
C64x+ DSPLIB 3.4.0.0 Included in mmWave SDK installer
C674x DSPLIB 3.4.0.0 Included in mmWave SDK installer
C674x MATHLIB (little-endian, elf/coff format) 3.1.2.1 Included in mmWave SDK installer
TI Emulators Package 7.0.188.0 or later Upgrade to the latest using CCS update process (see SDK user guide for more details)
Uniflash Latest Uniflash tool is used for flashing TI mmWave Radar devices. Download offline tool or use the Cloud version

2. Import Lab Project

To import the source code into your CCS workspace, CCS projects are provided for the mmWave SDK Out-of-box demo in the Radar Toolbox.

📝 NOTE: Project Workspace
When importing projects to a workspace, the files are LINKED into the workspace. It is important to note that modifying the files in the CCS workspace will also affect the source files. Practice version control in the case that revisions need to be reverted.

Project Name Location in Radar Toolbox
automated_doors_68xx_dss Do not import. Automatically imported with mss project.
automated_doors_68xx_mss <RADAR_TOOLBOX_INSTALL_DIR>\source\ti\examples\automated_doors_and_gates\src\6843

🛑 ERROR: Error during Import to IDE
If an error occurs, check that the software dependencies listed above have been installed. Errors will occur if necessary files are not installed in the correct location for importing.

3. Build the Lab

  1. Select the automated_doors_68xx_mss so it is highlighted. Right click on the project and select Build Configurations –> Set Active –> isk or ods based on the EVM
  2. Select the automated_doors_68xx_dss so it is highlighted. Right click on the project and select Build Configurations –> Set Active –> isk or ods based on the EVM
  3. Select the automated_doors_68xx_mss so it is highlighted. Right click on the project and select Rebuild Project. The DSS project will automatically build first and then the MSS project.
  4. On successful build, the following should appear:

📝 NOTE: Please set same Active Build Configuration for both MSS and BSS project.

⚠️ WARNING
Selecting Rebuild instead of Build ensures that the project is always re-compiled. This is especially important in case the previous build failed with errors.

🛑 ERROR: Build Fails with Errors
If the build fails with errors, please ensure that all the software requirements are installed as listed above and in the mmWave SDK release notes.

📝 NOTE:
As mentioned in the Quickstart section, pre-built binary files, both debug and deployment binaries are provided in the pre-compiled directory of the lab.

4. Execute the Lab

There are two ways to execute the compiled code on the EVM:

For help with Debug mode:

The CCS debug firmware (provided with the mmWave SDK) needs to be flashed once on the EVM.

Image Location Comment
Meta Image 1/RadarSS C:\ti\mmwave_sdk_<ver>\packages\ti\utils\ccsdebug\xwr68xx_ccsdebug.bin Provided with the mmWave SDK

After the CCS debug firmware has been flashed, connect the EVM to CCS

✅ Successful Run Binary
If binary is running correctly, the Console will include the “CLI is operational” message which indicates that the program is ready andwaiting for the sensor configuration.

After executing the lab using either method, the lab can be visualized using the Quick Start GUI.

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